Verdine Adams White (born July 25, 1951) is an American musician, best known as a founding member and

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...

for the band

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...

. White was placed at No. 19 on

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

's list of The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time.

Early life

Verdine was born Verdine Adams, Jr. in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, on July 25, 1951. His father, Verdine Sr., was a doctor who also played the

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pr ...

. He grew up listening to recordings of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of br ...

, and other

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

musicians. He was also influenced by

Cleveland Eaton Cleveland Josephus Eaton II (August 31, 1939July 5, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist, producer, arranger, composer, publisher, and head of his own record company in Fairfield, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. His most famous accompl ...

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

, the

Motown sound Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

, and his two drummer brothers,

Fred Fred may refer to: People * Fred (name), including a list of people and characters with the name Mononym * Fred (cartoonist) (1931–2013), pen name of Fred Othon Aristidès, French * Fred (footballer, born 1949) (1949–2022), Frederico Ro ...

and

Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...

. When he was 15, he saw a

double bass The double bass (), also known simply as the bass () (or #Terminology, by other names), is the largest and lowest-pitched Bow (music), bowed (or plucked) string instrument in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding unorthodox addit ...

in his

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

orchestra class and decided that he wanted to play bass. He soon got a red

electric bass The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck The ...

and, taking the advice of brother Maurice and his father, took private lessons from Radi Velah of the

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenure ...

, learning the Billè double bass method, and on weekends learned the electric bass with

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll ...

session bassist and trombonist

Louis Satterfield Louis Edward Satterfield (April 3, 1937 – September 27, 2004) was an American bassist and trombonist. Satterfield was a member of both The Pharaohs and the Phenix Horns. He also collaborated with prominent artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Mu ...

, who would later become a member of Earth, Wind & Fire's famed

horn section A horn section is a group of musicians playing horns. In an orchestra or concert band, it refers to the musicians who play the "French" horn, and in a British-style brass band it is the tenor horn players. In many popular music genres, the te ...

The Phenix Horns , originally known as the EWF Horns, were the main horn section for the band Earth, Wind & Fire. The horn section were composed of Don Myrick on saxophone, Louis "Lui Lui" Satterfield on trombone, Rahmlee Michael Davis on trumpet, and Michael ...

. Verdine says he learned everything about the bass guitar from Louis Satterfield, and some of his early bass influences were

James Jamerson James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases u ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, and

Gary Karr Gary Michael Karr (born November 20, 1941 in Los Angeles) is an American classical double bass virtuoso and teacher; he is considered one of the best bassists of the 20th and 21st centuries. Biography Although he comes from several generations ...

. Moving toward a newly bought

Fender Telecaster Bass The Fender Telecaster Bass (also referred as the Tele Bass) is an electric bass introduced in 1968 by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. With few physical changes through the 1970s, it was discontinued in 1979 and reissued in 2007 by Fender ...

instead of the upright bass, Verdine began working the Chicago club scene with local bands. Meanwhile, brother Maurice, who was a former session drummer at

and a member of pianist Ramsey Lewis' trio, had formed the Salty Peppers, scoring a local hit that caught the ears of

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...

. In early 1970 Maurice moved to Los Angeles, hoping to record the group, which he had renamed Earth, Wind & Fire and called up Verdine asking whether he would like to join, which he did, arriving in Los Angeles on June 6, 1970.

Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White in 1982 with Earth Wind and Fire

As Earth, Wind & Fire's bassist since the band's inception, White has won six and received two honoree

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s, has been Grammy nominated eighteen times and has also been inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

and the

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame (VGHF) is an American-based hall of fame that honors vocal groups throughout the world in every genre of music. Headquartered in the Columbia Theatre in Sharon, Pennsylvania, it includes a theater and a museum. It was ...

to name a few honors. The band has also earned more than 50 gold and platinum albums and have sold over 90 million albums worldwide. In November 2008 White was presented with ''

Bass Player A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...

'' magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award by

Nathan East Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B, and rock bass player and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degr ...

. On Friday, February 26, 2010 Verdine was inducted as a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity at the ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Verdine White holds an honorary doctorate degree from the American Conservatory of Music. On July 2, 2020, Rolling Stone Australia Magazine ranked White number 19 on "The 50 Greatest Bassists of All Time".

Songwriter

White's credits as a songwriter date back to Earth, Wind & Fire's self-titled debut studio album, on which White co-wrote "C'mon Children" and "Bad Tune". White co-wrote three songs on their third album, '' Last Days and Time''. He had one writing credit on their fourth album, ''

Head To The Sky ''Head to the Sky'' is the fourth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released in May 1973 on Columbia Records. The album rose to No. 2 on the Billboard (magazine), Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top Soul Albums chart and No. 27 ...

''. On their fifth album, '' Open Our Eyes'', White co-wrote the group's first top 5 R&B/Soul hit (No. 4), " Mighty, Mighty" along with his brother Maurice. They also co-wrote, " Kalimba Story", a top 10 R&B/Soul hit (No. 6). These two songs along with their single, "

Devotion Devotion or Devotions may refer to: Religion * Faith, confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept * Anglican devotions, private prayers and practices used by Anglican Christians * Buddhist devotion, commitment to religious observance * Cat ...

" (No. 23), helped the album top

Billboard's ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

Soul Album Chart, given them their first No. 1 album. White's co-writes include some of Earth, Wind & Fire's biggest hits, such as "

That's the Way of the World ''That's the Way of the World'' is the sixth studio album by American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on March 15, 1975 by Columbia Records. It was also the soundtrack for a 1975 motion picture of the same name. The album rose to No. 1 on bot ...

". White is credited on many artist's songs as heard in commercials, movie soundtracks, and televisions shows.

Philanthropy

White is the co-founder and director of the Verdine White Foundation, which aims to provide musical education to underprivileged and gifted students. During 2007 he was as well inducted into the

Boys and Girls Club Boys & Girls Club may refer to: * Boys & Girls Clubs of America * Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada * Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Clubs, Bronx, United States * Essex Boys and Girls Clubs, in Essex and East London, England * The Boys' and Girls' Clubs A ...

's Alumni Hall of Fame. White is the founder of the non profit organization, The Verdine White Performing Arts Center (VWPAC), located in Los Angeles. Founded in 2010, VWPAC encourages students to reach their fullest potential as artists and people, equipped with a well-rounded performing arts education and the confidence to take on whatever path they choose within the arts.

Author

In 2012, White co-authored a book with Louis Satterfield, "Playing Bass Guitar, A Beginner's Guide To The Electric Bass".

Personal life

Verdine White lives in Los Angeles in a house built in 1919, with his wife of 40 years

Shelly Clark Shelly Clark (born July 27, 1947) is an American singer, dancer and actress, best known as a founding member of the 1970s R&B girls group, Honey Cone who had the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit single, "Want Ads" released in March 1971. Early life S ...

. She was once a member of R&B groups

The Ikettes The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as ...

and

Honey Cone Honey Cone was an American R&B and soul girl group formed by lead singer Edna Wright (sister of Darlene Love) with Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark in 1968. They are best remembered for their number-one ''Billboard'' Hot 100 single, "Want Ads" ...

. They have a son and a granddaughter. He also has a twin sister by the name of Geraldine. He is the younger half-brother of Earth, Wind, and Fire band founder

Maurice White Maurice White (December 19, 1941 – February 4, 2016) was an American singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was best known as the founder, leader, main songwriter, and producer of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, and served as the ...

and older brother of drummer Fred White and Monte White, (October 16, 1953 - April 21, 2020). Both were members of Earth, Wind & Fire. Fred played drums and percussion as a band member from 1974 to 1984 and was inducted with the band into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Monte served as the group's tour manager from 1974 to 1984.

Discography

With Earth, Wind & Fire

Backing Musician and Production Credits

*1974

Ramsey Lewis Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis Jr. (May 27, 1935 – September 12, 2022) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and radio personality. Lewis recorded over 80 albums and received five RIAA certification, gold records and three Grammy Awards ...

: ''

Sun Goddess A solar deity or sun deity is a deity who represents the Sun, or an aspect of it. Such deities are usually associated with power and strength. Solar deities and Sun worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The ...

'' - (bass, vocals) *1975 Ramsey Lewis: ''Electric Collection'' - (bass, vocals) *1976

Gene Harris Gene Harris (born Eugene Haire, September 1, 1933 – January 16, 2000) was an American jazz pianist known for his warm sound and blues and gospel infused style that is known as soul jazz. From 1956 to 1970, he played in The Three Sounds trio ...

: ''

In a Special Way ''In a Special Way'' is the third studio album by American R&B group DeBarge, released by Gordy Records on September 24, 1983. It was recorded at Kendun Records in Burbank and Westlake Audio in West Hollywood; written and produced by lead vocal ...

'' - (bass) *1976

The Emotions ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

: ''

Flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

'' - (bass) *1976

Deniece Williams Deniece Williams (born June Deniece Chandler; June 3, 1951) is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great soul voices" by the BBC. She is best known for the songs " Free", " Silly", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and two ''Bill ...

: '' This Is Niecy'' - (bass) *1977 The Emotions: '' Rejoice'' - (bass) *1977: Gene Harris: ''

Tone Tantrum ''Tone Tantrum'' is an album by American jazz pianist Gene Harris recorded in 1977 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' - (bass) *1977:

Lenny White Leonard "Lenny" White III (born December 19, 1949) is an American jazz fusion drummer who was a member of the band Return to Forever led by Chick Corea in the 1970s. White has been called "one of the founding fathers of jazz fusion". He has won ...

: Big City *1977:

Harvey Mason Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. Mason, who attended Berklee in the 1960s, received an Honorary Doctorate at Berklee's 2015 Commencement Ceremony for ...

: Funk in a Mason Jar *1977:

Pockets A pocket is a bag- or envelope-like receptacle either fastened to or inserted in an article of clothing to hold small items. Pockets are also attached to luggage, backpacks, and similar items. In older usage, a pocket was a separate small bag o ...

: '' Come Go With Us'' - (producer) *1977 Deniece Williams : ''

Song Bird A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...

'' - (bass) *1978 The Emotions: ''

Sunbeam A sunbeam, in meteorological optics, is a beam of sunlight that appears to radiate from the position of the Sun. Shining through openings in clouds or between other objects such as mountains and buildings, these beams of particle-scattered sunl ...

'' - (bass) *1978

Eumir Deodato Eumir Deodato de Almeida (; born 22 June 1942) is a Brazilian pianist, composer, arranger and record producer, primarily in jazz but who has been known for his eclectic melding of genres, such as pop, rock, disco, rhythm and blues, classical, ...

: Love Island - (bass) *1979 Harvey Mason: Groovin You - (bass) *1983

Level 42 Level 42 is an English jazz-funk band formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979. They had a number of UK and worldwide hits during the 1980s and 1990s. Their highest-charting single in the UK was " Lessons in Love", which reached number three on the ...

: ''

Standing in the Light ''Standing in the Light'' is the fourth studio album released by English jazz-funk band Level 42. The album, released in 1983, generated the group's first top 10 in the UK Albums Chart, peaking at No. 9. The album was well received by critics a ...

'' - (producer) *1992 Norman Brown: Just Between Us *1997

Urban Knights The Urban Knights are an all-star jazz fusion band. They released their self tilted debut in 1995. They have a total of 8 studio albums. Overview The Urban Knight's debut album, '' Urban Knights I'', was released in 1995 by GRP Records. Produced ...

: '' Urban Knights II'' - (bass, producer) *2002

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

: '' This Is Me... Then'' - (bass) *2012

Solange Solange (died 10 May, c. 880) was a Frankish shepherdess and a locally venerated Christian saint and cephalophore, whose cult is restricted to Sainte-Solange, Cher. Saint Solange was the patron of the traditional Province of Berry, of which Che ...

: ''

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * Tr ...

'' - (bass) *2014

Freddie Ravel Freddie Ravel is an American keyboardist, keynote speaker, author, composer and recording artist. Ravel served as the musical director as well as composer, producer and concert touring keyboardist of the band Earth, Wind & Fire. He's also worked ...

: Sol to Soul - (bass, associate producer) *2015

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...

I Don't Like It, I Love It "I Don't Like It, I Love It" is a song by American rapper Flo Rida from his 2015 EP '' My House''. The song features American singer Robin Thicke and Earth, Wind & Fire bassist Verdine White. It was released as the album's third promotional single ...

- (bass) *2017

Kelly Clarkson Kelly Brianne Clarkson (born April 24, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter, author, and television personality. She rose to fame after winning the first season of ''American Idol'' in 2002, which earned her a record deal with RCA. Her debu ...

: ''

Meaning of Life The meaning of life, or the answer to the question: "What is the meaning of life?", pertains to the significance of living or existence in general. Many other related questions include: "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?", or "What ...

'' - (bass)

Awards

RIAA Awards

Multi-Platinum Albums *1975 - That's The Way Of The World *1975 - Gratitude *1976 - Spirit Platinum Albums *1973 - Head To The Sky *1974 - Open Our Eyes *1981 - Raise! Gold Albums *1980 - Faces *1983 - Powerlight *1987 - Touch The World *1988 - The Best Of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. II *2003 - The Essential Earth, Wind & Fire Gold Singles *1975 - Shining Star *1975 - Singasong *1976 - Getaway *1978 - September *1978 - Got To Get You Into My Life *1979 - Boogie Wonderland *1979 - After The Love Has Gone *1981 - Let's Groove

Inductions

*1995 - Star on Hollywood's Walk Of Fame *2000 - Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame *2003 - Inducted into Hollywood's RockWalk *2003 - Inducted into The Vocal Group Hall Of Fame *2010 - Songwriters Hall Of Fame *2012 - Beacon of Change award at the Beacon Awards Banquet *2019 - Kennedy Center Honors

Grammy Awards

*2016 - Lifetime Achievement Award *2008 - GRAMMY Hall Of Fame, "Shining Star" *2004 - NARAS Signature Governors Award *1982 - Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals, "Wanna Be With You" *1979 - Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, "After The Love Has Gone" *1979 - Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "Boogie Wonderland" *1978 - Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, "All 'n All" *1978 - Best R&B Instrumental Performance, "Runnin'" *1975 - Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus, "Shining Star"

American Music Awards

*1976 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group - Soul/Rhythm & Blues *1977 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group- Soul/Rhythm & Blues *1978 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group- Soul/Rhythm & Blues *1980 - Favorite Band, Duo Or Group- Soul/Rhythm & Blues

Other awards

*1994 - NAACP Hall Of Fame Image Award *2002 - BET Lifetime Achievement Award *2002 - ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award *2002 - TV Land's Entertainer Award *2002 - The Daniel L. Stephenson Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement in Music *2008 - Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award *2008 - Honorary Doctorates in the arts from Columbia College in Chicago *2016 - Induction into The Soul Music Hall of Fame. *2021 - Mayor John Hamilton proclaimed February 1, 2021, Verdine White and Shelly Clark day in Bloomington, Indiana.

References

External links

Verdine White's official websiteVerdine White Interview
NAMM Oral History Library, January 20, 2014. {{DEFAULTSORT:White, Verdine 1951 births Living people African-American musicians American funk bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Earth, Wind & Fire members Guitarists from Chicago 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American guitarists